Sweet Sixteen  Part 16 of the Home Is Series
by tutncleo
Summary: Gibbs and Tony enjoy a long weekend away.  This story is slash, so please don't read it if you object to that.


**Sweet Sixteen - Part 16 in the "Home Is" Series**

"_**A home is not a mere transient shelter: its essence lies in the personalities of the people who live in it." **_** H. L. Mencken**

"Tell me again why we're doing this," Tony grumbled from where he sat, all scrunched down in the passenger seat of Gibbs' truck.

"Cause it's going to be fun," Gibbs answered, trying to suppress a grin.

"Maybe for you," Tony muttered under his breath, not really intending for his partner to hear him, but not caring if he did either. Louder he said, "But why did we have to leave at 5:00 a.m.?"

"I explained this yesterday," Gibbs said as patiently as he could.

"Yeah well, I've slept since then. No wait, I HAVEN'T slept since then, so maybe you'd better tell me again," Tony snarked.

"It's going to take us three hours to get there, and I want us to have the whole day to explore. Plus, it's not my fault you waited till last night to pack. And while we're talking about that, I have no idea why you needed two suitcases," was Gibbs' response.

"Like the boy scouts say, it's better to be prepared. Who the hell knows what I'm going to need," Tony grouched.

Gibbs shot a quick glance over at the younger man before he said, "I thought you were excited about getting away for a long weekend."

"But why does it have to be camping?" Tony came very close to whining.

"We've been talking about trying it for a long time, and you never said you didn't want to," Gibbs reminded him, still working hard not to sound irritated. There were times it was better to take the high road with Tony, as he had learned the hard way.

"That was because I didn't think you were really serious!"

"Why do you think I got you those flannel shirts and hiking boots for you birthday?"

Gibbs had a point, but there was no way Tony was going to admit it. "I don't know. I thought maybe you had some kind of lumberjack fantasy you'd never shared with me," Tony sassed.

"Yeah, well if I did, I somehow doubt if it would feature you," and even as he said it, Gibbs knew it was the wrong thing to say, but he just couldn't resist.

With that, Tony pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head, and curled himself up into a ball on the seat. "Wake me up when we get there," he order, and then shifted in the seat until his back was turned to Gibbs.

Gibbs just sighed and continued driving; privately thinking that it might just be a very long weekend.

He woke Tony up when they were about to pull into the state park. "Rise and shine. We're here," he said, watching for the signs that would direct him to the approved camping areas.

Tony sat up and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked out the window just in time to see a small wooden arrow with 'Cabins This Way' written on it. "I didn't realize there were cabins. Maybe this won't be so bad after all," he announced, sounding much more optimistic.

"We're not staying there. You know I brought a tent," Gibbs reminded him.

"But we _could_," Tony wheedled.

"I doubt it. Those are usually booked months in advance. Besides, staying in a cabin isn't real camping," he couldn't help scoffing.

Tony bit back the response that first occurred to him, deciding there wasn't any point in arguing further. Gibbs had made up his mind, and he was just going to have to make the most of it.

They made their way deeper and deeper into the woods, as Gibbs steered the car down a series of narrow, winding roads, occasionally referring to a map of the park. The trees were in their full autumnal colors, and Tony was forced to begrudging admit, to himself, that the scenery was beautiful. Finally, Gibbs eased into a small clearing, just off the side of the road, and opened his door.

Tony climbed out of the car after him and looked around. There was a water pump, a rusted free standing grill, and an ancient red cedar picnic table in a small grassy area right outside the tree line, but no signs of any other cars or people. As he stood there scanning the surroundings birds were chirping, and a cool breeze laced with the scent of pine kissed his face.

"This whole area has been set aside for tents," Gibbs told him as he dropped the lift gate on the truck and began to pull out supplies.

"It is pretty," Tony admitted grudgingly, as he reached out to receive what Gibbs was unloading.

When the tent, a tool bag, a large cooler, and Gibbs' fishing gear were neatly stacked on the ground beside the vehicle, Tony asked, "So, where are we going to set up?"

"Let's head into the woods a ways, and look for a good spot. We can get water here and use the grill when we want to cook a meal." Gibbs answered, stooping to pick up the tent bag and fishing supplies.

Tony didn't argue as he lent a hand, although personally he couldn't see why there was anything wrong with the clearing they were standing in. "The rest of the stuff going to be alright?" he grunted as he picked up the cooler which was surprisingly heavy.

"Should be. There aren't a lot of people out here, this deep in the forest," Gibbs called over his shoulder, heading towards the nearest outcropping of trees, counting on Tony to follow his lead.

An hour later they were both hot and sweaty, but the tent had been erected and their sleeping bags placed inside. Gibbs opened up the cooler and pulled out two bottles of water, and offered one to Tony, who took it gratefully.

"So, what now?" Tony asked, after taking a long swig of the icy water.

"Now, we fish," Gibbs decreed, with far more enthusiasm than Tony was feeling. Picking up the equipment, he turned to Tony and said, "Can you grab the bait, and then stow the cooler back in the truck?"

"Sure, where is it?" Tony asked, looking around at the stuff they'd brought with them.

"_In_ the cooler, Tony," Gibbs told him, rolling his eyes slightly. "The container marked night crawlers."

"In the cooler? Next to the food?" Tony almost shrieked, looking at his bottle of water for signs of contamination.

Gibbs laughed at the look of horror on his partner's face. "Relax, they can't get out."

"Let's hope not," Tony said, as he gingerly opened the lid of the cooler and began to move things around as he searched for the container. "Aren't you supposed to dig the worms out of the ground or something?" he asked, when he'd finally found what he was looking for.

"If you want to waste a lot of time," Gibbs shrugged.

Tony managed not to say anything as he hauled the cooler over to the truck. He was beginning to feel a tad guilty over how surly he was being, and silently vowed to try and find the bright side to this adventure in the great outdoors. Besides, Gibbs almost always allowed him to dictate what they did when they had free time; it was only fair that Tony reciprocate now and again. "So, where are we going to do this?" he asked, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"According to the map, there should be a lake not more than a half mile from here. That's why I picked this spot," Gibbs explained, as Tony fell into step beside him.

It only took them a little over ten minutes to get to the water, and the view was well worth the effort. The lake was huge, and sat like an oasis among the trees which were reflected off of the clear blue water. There were ducks swimming happily, with pussy willows and wild flowers framing the edges of the water, and further down Tony could see a rustic wooden boat launch.

"Looks like you can canoe on it," Gibbs remarked, as he took in the wooden pier.

"Too bad we don't have one. Guess you'll have to start building one in the basement when we get home," Tony teased his lover.

"First let's see how this weekend goes," Gibbs laughingly responded, as he sat down their equipment next to the edge of the lake and began to fiddle with a fishing rod.

Once he had the poles set up to his satisfaction, he handed one to Tony, who had positioned himself beside the older man. "Here you go, all ready for bait. First one to catch a keeper gets out of having to clean them," he decreed.

Tony gingerly opened up the styrofoam container of night crawlers, and pulled one out. Trying not to grimace, he held up the wriggling worm and speared it with the hook, leaving about four inches dangling down. Gibbs, who had been busy baiting his own hook, glanced over at Tony and saw what he'd done. "That's not going to work. The fish will just eat off the end and never get anywhere near your hook. You need to thread most of the length of the crawler onto the hook," he explained and held up his own rod as an example. "Haven't you ever gone fishing before, Tony?" he asked then, since all of this seemed so foreign to the younger man.

"You've met my dad," Tony replied, avoiding Gibbs' eyes as he rearranged the worm. "He's not exactly the outdoorsy type. Our father and son bonding time mostly consisted of us going out to dinner. About the only thing we did together in the outdoors was the occasional weekend trip to the horse track. And the summer camps I was sent to were just havens for rich kids who had no interest in getting hot or dirty. We spent most of our time hanging out at the swimming pool or playing tennis, and making contacts that might be useful when we grew up."

Gibbs shook his head, silently kicking himself for asking the question and inadvertently making Tony think about his miserable childhood. Deciding it was better not to pursue the issue, he said, "Let me teach you how to cast your line." He showed Tony where the release button was, and demonstrated how to effectively snap the rod and then reel the excess line back in. It took Tony a couple of tries, but finally he had a cast Gibbs deemed acceptable.

"So, what do we do now?" Tony asked, as he stood gazing out at the lake, watching his bobber for signs of a fish.

"Now we sit down and wait," was Gibbs' answer.

Soon they were comfortably settled, side by side, with Gibbs' arm around Tony's shoulders. They sat there quietly for a long time, enjoying each others' company and the feel of the breeze as it ruffled their hair and cooled away the heat. Gibbs had just started nuzzling at his neck, and Tony was beginning to think that fishing might not be so bad, when there was a sudden tug on his pole. "What's that?" Tony jerked in surprise.

"You've got a bite," Gibbs exclaimed excitedly. "Start to reel it in, slowly. You don't want to spook the fish." As Tony complied, he instructed him on how to give the line a little slack, and then reel in a bit more, until finally the fish was only a few feet from the edge of the lake.

"Okay, let me have the pole and you grab the net over there," Gibbs told him. "When I lift the rod up and the fish comes out of the water, you slide the net underneath and catch him."

Once he had the short pole with the net attached in his hands, Tony got himself stationed along the bank, ready to bag his first fish.

"Okay, he's still there. I'm gonna lift him out now," Gibbs warned him.

Tony leaned forward, tingling with anticipation, and watched as a silvery green fish, about twenty inches long, rose out of the water.

"Now!" Gibbs called, and Tony bent even further, net extended. The fish danced on the hook, and Tony had to move the pole this way and that to match its movement. He had just gotten the fish in the net when his foot slid on the muddy bank, and before he knew it, he plunged sideways into the lake.

The water wasn't deep, but Tony had fallen on his side, so he was drenched from head to toe. He lifted his head out, spurting water from his mouth, and cursed loudly. Gibbs, still standing by the edge, was bent double he was laughing so hard.

"It's not funny, Jethro," Tony seethed.

"Depends on which side of the bank you're standing on," Gibbs managed to choke out.

"Yeah, well, I'm not standing, am I?" was Tony's sarcastic reply.

"At least you've still got the fish," Gibbs pointed out, and Tony looked and realized he was still hanging onto the pole and that the fish was, indeed, still in the net. For some inexplicable reason, that made him feel a little better.

"Tell me it's a keeper," Tony pleaded as he tried to haul himself out of the lake.

"Sure as hell is," Gibbs assured him. "That's a real nice sized largemouth bass."

Gibbs helped get Tony, and the fish, out of the water. "We'd probably better get you back to the camp for some dry clothes," he told the younger man, who was standing next to him, attempting to wring water out of his shirt.

"Yeah, right after I hit the showers," Tony agreed.

"You just did," Gibbs told him, succumbing to laughter once more.

"You have got to be shitting me! There aren't any bathhouses here?"

"The RV area probably has them, but those aren't for tent campers. Besides, the water in that lake is as clean as anything that would come out of a shower. It's one of the draws for this park," Gibbs told him.

"Great, just great," Tony mumbled as he bent over to retrieve his fishing pole and the net with the fish still resting in it. There was no way he was leaving without that damned fish, he thought, not after what he'd gone through to get it.

By the time they got back to the tent, Tony was shivering slightly. It wasn't really cold out, but there was a slight bite to the autumn air which, combined with his wet clothing, was beginning to give him a chill.

"Let me throw the fish in the cooler, while you get out of your wet clothes," Gibbs said, as Tony moved towards their tent.

Tony climbed in, and had just stripped off his clothes, when he realized his fresh clothes were still in the luggage he'd left behind in the truck. Disgusted with himself he collapsed down on one of the sleeping bags, buck naked, while he thought about what to do. Seconds later he was sound asleep.

That was how Gibbs found him when he stuck his head in to check on his progress. Moving as quietly as he could, Gibbs crawled up the length of Tony's body and planted a kiss on his lips. Tony's eyes opened, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around his lover's shoulders. Gibbs reached out a hand to stroke Tony's chest, but stopped short when warm skin met cold, clammy skin. "Christ Tony, you're like ice," he exclaimed.

"Guess you'll have to warm me up, then," Tony said, as one of his hands crept up under the hem of Gibbs' t-shirt and began to unfasten his jeans.

Two hours later, Gibbs deemed Tony sufficiently 'warmed up'. Rising reluctantly, Gibbs volunteered to go to the truck to get Tony's clothes.

When Tony was dressed in a dry pair of jeans, t-shirt, and shoes, Gibbs went back to the truck and emerged with yet another cooler.

"What's in that one?" Tony asked, as Gibbs carried it over to the picnic table in the clearing.

"Food. Thought you might be hungry after all that exercise," Gibbs grinned.

"You talking about the swim or aerobic workout you gave me?" Tony teased back.

"Both," Gibbs laughed, as he pulled out the food.

After eating a couple of cold cut sandwiches, they went for a hike. They took their time, exploring the various trails that crisscrossed through the woods, content to just enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery. At one point their wanderings took them to the edge of a clearing where a small playground had been erected. They took a break there, sitting on a park bench and watching as a father pushed his little tow haired boy and girl on the swings.

Gibbs smiled wistfully when the children shrieked and giggled as they flew through the air, causing Tony to ask, "Do you ever wish you'd had more children?"

Had it been anyone else other than Tony asking that question, Gibbs would have answered with a glare and stony silence, but over the last few years their relationship had evolved to the point where they had discussed many of the most sensitive issues from their past. Even so, Gibbs knew it was a question that Tony didn't ask lightly, and that his answer was important to the younger man. A simple yes or no would not suffice, and he was going to have to do something he usually avoided; he was going to have to talk about his feelings.

"At first I was too angry and hurt to even think about it," he began. "It was easier to bury myself in work and pretend like Kelly and Shannon had never existed."

"What about with your ex-wives?" Tony asked.

"Never seemed right," Gibbs answered. "Maybe I still wasn't over it, or maybe I just didn't love them enough. That was really what started the trouble between me and Diane. She wanted a family, and I refused to even consider it."

"Umm," was Tony's response as he contemplated Gibbs' answer.

"What about you?" Gibbs asked, digging to see if he could get at the reason for Tony's original question.

"Me? Be responsible for someone else?" Tony snorted just a tad too fast for Gibbs' taste. He recognized the joke for the deflection it was meant to be, and refused to let it ride.

"You've always shown responsibility for your teammates, Tony, so I doubt if that's the problem. I think you'd make a good father."

"DiNozzo's aren't noted for their fathering skills, Jethro," Tony replied. "Besides, neither one of us is a likely candidate for motherhood, or are you just trying to get rid of me? Pawning me off on some poor unsuspecting woman?"

"That's the last thing I'd want to do; it took me too long to get you."

"Yeah, well, whose fault is that? I thought I made it pretty clear from the very beginning that I was interested in you," Tony pointed out.

Gibbs just laughed at that. Tony was clearly not ready to discuss whatever had prompted his question about children, and Gibbs was willing to let it drop for now, although he knew he'd have to address it again later. Tony would not have brought it up for no reason. "Come on, let's head back to our camp," he suggested. "I've got a fish I promised to clean."

Once they were back, the sun was beginning to set. Gibbs retrieved the cooler he'd stored the fish in, and demonstrated for Tony how to clean and fillet his catch, telling him to pay close attention since he intended to have the first catch tomorrow so it would be Tony's turn. Then he got a bag of charcoal from the truck and lit a fire in the free standing grill next to the old picnic table.

"So, what are we going to have besides my fish?" Tony asked as he watched Gibbs work.

"I brought some potatoes. Thought we'd have them, and then, if you're good, we'll make s'mores for dessert."

"I thought I was a very good earlier. I certainly didn't hear you complaining," Tony smirked.

"Not gonna, either," Gibbs grinned.

The rest of the evening passed without event. The supper was wonderful, and as the fish melted in his mouth, Tony allowed that perhaps it was worth getting wet for. After the s'mores were eaten, the dishes rinsed off at the pump, and the food hampers safely stored back in the truck to prevent bears from getting at them (a piece of information Tony could have lived without), they retired to the tent.

"Got something I want to show you," Gibbs told Tony after they had stripped off their clothes for bed. Reaching up, he unzipped a flap on the top of the tent to reveal a net window. From where he lay, Tony could look out and see the moon shining and the stars twinkling through the gently swaying branches of the surrounding trees.

"It's perfect," he said softly, snuggling against Gibbs.

"Yeah, well, you're not so bad yourself," Gibbs told him, as his hand began to slide down Tony's muscled abdomen on its way to his rapidly hardening cock.

They kissed and fondled for as long as they both could hold out, but eventually the need for release was impossible to ignore. Pulling away from Tony just long enough to reposition himself, Gibbs crept between Tony's spread legs and slowly eased his aching penis into Tony's well lubricated opening. Tony moaned in appreciation, and raised his legs up to rest on Gibbs' shoulders as the older man started to gently rock his hips back and forth. Gibbs didn't hurry; he moved slowly, enjoying the friction and heat as Tony's body cradled his penis, and the soft gasps his lover made every time he thrust forward.

From where he lay, Tony gazed up, wanting to see the expression on Gibbs' face when he finally came, and was completely undone by what he saw. Gibbs' head was perfectly aligned with the moon as it shone through the tent window, and the glow cast a silvery white halo around the older man's silver hair. It was like being made love to by an angel. He thought about saying something, but decided against it, wanting to keep the image as his personal secret. When Gibbs reached down, encircling his cock with a warm, calloused hand that belied the angelic appearance, Tony could hold back no longer, and his vision blurred as they both erupted in release.

Once he was completely sated Tony opened his eyes again, only to discover that Gibbs had moved his head, and the halo like effect was gone. All that remained was his lover, smiling down at him, his humanity etched across his face with the faint lines and creases born from experiences both sorrowful and joyous. It was the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.

"Love ya," he smiled as he said.

"Me too, Tony," Gibbs said, bending down to claim a kiss.

"I think I'm beginning to love camping," Tony said, wrapping his arms around Gibbs and pulling him down on top of him.

"You just love having sex twice in one day," Gibbs corrected him, as he absentmindedly nibbled on Tony's earlobe.

"You might be right about that," Tony acknowledged, "But if I have to go camping to get it, I say yay to more vacations like this."

They fell asleep like that, enfolded in each other's embrace, and slept until the sun shone through the window, displacing the dark. Gibbs was the first one awake, and he carefully extracted himself from Tony's arms, trying in vain not to wake his lover.

"Where are you going, Jethro?" Tony murmured, never opening his eyes, as he rolled over, trying to absorb the heat from the spot Gibbs had just vacated.

"Gonna take a leak and then start breakfast. Don't get up yet. I'll call you when it's done," he said softly as he began to pull on some clothes.

Once Gibbs was gone, Tony tried unsuccessfully to go back to sleep, but finally gave up. After he'd dressed, he went in search of Gibbs and sustenance. He found both in the clearing by the truck. Gibbs had the grill going again, and was using an old cast iron frying pan to prepare eggs and bacon.

"Smells great," Tony enthused, as he pressed up against Gibbs' back and hugged him. "I'm starved."

"Wonder why?" Gibbs asked archly.

"I'll bet," Tony smirked. "Course, after I eat this I'm gonna need to work off the calories."

Gibbs laughed. "Yeah, well, I was thinking we'd go hiking."

"That wasn't what I was thinking about," Tony murmured in his ear.

"You're insatiable," Gibbs laughed. "I'm an old man. I need some recovery time, so hike first, and then we'll see. Make yourself useful and dig out the plates and silverware from the truck. The food's just about done."

After eating, they went for the hike Gibbs had proposed. Unlike yesterday, when they'd meandered their way through the woods, they set a much more rigorous pace, taking the trails marked for experienced hikers. By the time they got back to the lake, they were both sweating profusely. Tony looked around and saw that they were alone. Then, without saying a word, he started to strip off his clothes.

"Tony, what the hell…" Gibbs began, but was interrupted by the other man.

"I'm hot and sticky. So I'm just doing what you said yesterday; I'm getting ready to take a shower. You coming in with me? I'd hate to swim without a buddy," he grinned lasciviously, before he began wading into the lake.

Gibbs stood on the shore watching as Tony slowly went deeper and deeper, until finally he was forced to begin treading water to keep his head afloat. Then, with a wave in Gibbs' direction, he spread out and began to swim, his strong arms pumping through the water. The occasional glimpse of Tony's naked butt finally spurred the older man into action, and not quite believing what he was doing, he, too, removed his clothes and plunged into the water.

When Gibbs caught up to Tony, they were in the middle of the lake. Reaching out, Gibbs got his hands on his senior agent's shoulders and pushed him under the water. Tony was laughing when he resurfaced, and he spun around and splashed water at Gibbs. That started a ferocious splashing and dunking war, the sort that only grown men who have suddenly reverted to childhood can engage in. Finally, out of breath, they declared a truce, and Tony wrapped his arms around Gibbs, pressing his naked body against his lovers and letting Gibbs' treading keep them both afloat.

"Ever made love in the water?" he asked, snaking his legs around Gibbs' waist.

"Not since I was a teenager," Gibbs replied.

"That the last time you skinny dipped too?" Tony wanted to know.

"Got it in one," Gibbs laughed.

"We'd better rectify that then," Tony told him, as he eased one hand down Gibbs' slippery chest and latched onto his hardened cock.

They groped, fondled, and kissed in the water, but ultimately the sheer effort of keeping them both afloat proved too much, and they ended up swimming back to the shore and climbing out. After looking around to make sure they were still alone, Gibbs lay on the ground, pulling Tony down on top of him, and finished what they'd begun in the lake.

When their lovemaking was over, and they were lying side by side in the tall marshy grass that surrounded the water, Gibbs decided the time was right to revisit what they'd been discussing the day before.

Drawing the younger man into him, until Tony's head was resting on his chest, right below his collar bone, Gibbs softly asked, "Tony, why did you ask me if I'd ever wanted another child?"

"Just curious," Tony murmured, his lips tickling against Gibbs' skin and muffling his voice. "Forget about it, Jethro. It was no big deal."

Gibbs suspected the opposite to be true; it most likely was a _very_ big deal to Tony. So big, that he couldn't find a way to say what he really wanted to. Clearly he was going to have to help things along. "I know what you said about DiNozzo's and fatherhood, but haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to have a child?"

"Of course I have. I think everyone thinks about that at some point, but I wouldn't give up 'us' for the chance to have a child," Tony said.

That was what Gibbs had been waiting to hear. There was the root of Tony's concerns. Then Gibbs surprised even himself. "What if you didn't have to?" he asked as casually as he could, even though he was sure his heart rate had just doubled. He couldn't believe he'd just said that. After three failed marriages during which he'd steadfastly refused to even discuss the idea of having children, he _himself_ had just brought up the subject to his unmarried_, male_, significant other.

Tony's head snapped up as his eyes sought out Gibbs'. "What did you just say?" he asked, certain he must have misheard.

"What if you didn't have to? Give up our relationship to have a child," Gibbs clarified.

"Do you know what you're saying?" Tony demanded.

"Well, yeah, Tony, I'm pretty sure I do," Gibbs responded, his earlier disbelief from what he'd said replaced by amusement over the look on his lover's face.

"How…" Tony began.

"Adoption, surrogate, there are ways. Not like it isn't done all the time these days," Gibbs said.

"You'd do that?" Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I wouldn't rule it out. Not if it was something you really wanted," Gibbs told him.

"It would change things, Jethro. You know that, right?"

"Kids always change things."

"I get that, but that's not what I meant. I was talking about us. If we had a child, there wouldn't be any way to hide our relationship," Tony said.

"Most people at NCIS already know, Tony. We took care of that when we had that barbeque," Gibbs reminded him.

"I'm not talking about work. I'm talking about the whole rest of the world. People on the street, the kid's doctors and teachers, the other parents at the school and playground – are you ready for that?"

"I don't know," Gibbs answered him, knowing he had to be honest. "Are you? All I'm sure about is that I'm willing to talk about it, explore the idea," he said simply.

"Yeah, maybe. I need time though; I have to think about it. I never really imagined it was possible, that you'd agree to it," he confessed.

"There's no hurry, Tony. I'm happy with the way things are. Just wanted you to know that it isn't out of the question," Gibbs assured him.

"Thank you, Jethro," Tony said, and then leaned in to kiss the older man tenderly.

They got dressed after that, and made their way back to the campsite. The rest of the day was spent similarly to the previous one. They went fishing, and after catching a few fish which were too small to keep, it was Gibbs who finally got one large enough to feed them both for dinner. Later they took a moonlit swim, this time with swimming trunks on, and then retired for the night. Through it all Tony had been unusually quiet. Gibbs wasn't worried; he'd expected it. His lover could talk all day long, nonstop, about nothing, but when he had something serious on his mind, he tended to be silent. It would take Tony time to sort through his feelings, and he wasn't likely to broach the subject of children again until he knew exactly where he stood on the subject. That was fine with Gibbs. He had some serious thinking to do, too, and as he'd told Tony earlier, there was no rush.

The next morning it was cool when Gibbs woke up, and he contented himself with lying in the sleeping bag, enjoying the sensation of Tony's warm body snuggled up next to him. When Tony finally woke up, they fixed themselves a quick breakfast and took one last walk in the woods. Along the way, Gibbs pointed out to Tony the signs left by various animals that had passed that way, taking the opportunity to teach him a little about tracking. Once they were back from their hike, they packed up the camp area and prepared to head back to D.C. The next day was a workday, and they needed to get home in time to run a few errands so as to be prepared for the coming week.

The drive back was the polar opposite of their drive to the park. Tony chatted happily about their outing, freely admitting that it had been fun. "I stand corrected, Jethro. Camping can be fun. Who knew that fresh air and lumpy sleeping bags could be such an aphrodisiac?"

"Don't think it was the air or our sleeping arrangements, Tony," Gibbs smiled at him. "But that doesn't mean I'm not willing to do it again," and that started them off on discussing when and where their next camping trip would occur.

When they were about halfway home, Gibbs began to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"You okay?" Tony asked, after he saw his partner readjust his position for the third time in less than ten minutes. "Do you need me to drive or something?"

"Nah, I just itch. Think I must have gotten leaves or a twig or something inside my pants. Don't worry about it; it'll be fine," Gibbs told him.

When they finally got home, and had the truck unloaded, Gibbs announced, "I'm gonna take a shower before we go to the grocery store. Shouldn't take me long."

"No hurry," Tony assured him, looking up from the laptop he was using to read the email that had accumulated while they were gone.

When he was done on the internet, Tony shut down the computer and wandered up to their bedroom, plopping down on their bed just in time to watch Gibbs emerging buck naked from the en-suite bathroom. When the older man walked past him, on his way to their closet, Tony saw that Gibbs' rear end was bright red.

"Hey, Jethro. What the hell is wrong with your butt?"

"What do you mean?" Gibbs asked.

"Your ass, it's glowing like a cherry," Tony elaborated.

Gibbs walked over to the dresser with a mirror and turned so he could see his backside. "Shit!" he cursed after he'd gotten a good look at his derriere. By that time Tony had gotten up, and was leaning down, peering at Gibbs' butt.

"You've got a whole bunch of red bumps, curving all over your skin in streaks!" he exclaimed.

"Poison ivy!" Gibbs spit out. "Must have gotten it when we were lying next to the lake."

"I always knew I was a red hot lay," Tony couldn't resist wisecracking.

"Laugh now, we'll see if you're still laughing in the morning," Gibbs growled, not realizing how prophetic those words would turn out to be.

By the next day, both of the men's backsides were covered in poison ivy, and they were forced to call in sick to work. At one point, as they were lying in bed, on their bellies, Tony looked over at Gibbs and said, "You know what the worst part about this is? When we get back to work, everyone is going to want to know why we were out, and once they find out, we're never gonna hear the end of it. That's going to chap my ass way worse than this damned rash!"


End file.
